Co-operation of Plant Life 



the plants to reach the stage of a true leaf and other millions 

 of years for the plants to reach the stage of a true flower. 

 Throughout all of life there has been a perfect balancing of 

 equations in the forms of both plant and animal life. These 

 forms have gone through thousands of changes casting off 

 the useless and holding on to the useful and adapting them 

 to a higher purpose. 



The lowest forms of plant life like the lowest forms of 

 animal life absorbed their nourishment through their cell 

 walls while floating in or on the water. When one of these 

 threw out an arm to get more food, that was action, change, 

 progress. Nature demands action and change and for these 

 she offers as a reward — development and progress. The 

 mosses that had developed into tree like ferns were still 

 reproducing themselves by spores. Life had reached a medi- 

 eval period in both the plant and animal kingdoms. It was 

 necessary that another forward step be taken and this was 

 brought about by the development of the leaf so arranged 

 that it could drink in and store away its energy from the sun. 

 In order to develop strength, it must have sunshine. We 

 have all seen a potato sending out its long, tender white 

 sprouts in a dark, damp cellar. It is simply reaching out and 

 searching for a ray of sunlight from which it may draw its 

 chlorophyll which gives to it both color and strength. The 

 roots are reaching out for water and plant food from the 

 soil while the leaves are drinking in energy from the sun, the 

 function of each is to build the main body and fit it for its 

 struggle in life. It does not possess the power of locomotion 

 and must of necessity adapt itself to its environment. If by 

 chance, its environment is cast in a favorable spot where 



[2091 



